What If?
by Fyliwion
Summary: A collection of one shots concerning What If's throughout the series. Severus Snape and Lily Potter centric. [Brains and Bravery: It was his choice which house to go to, and in the end he chose to be with Lily.] DEATHLY HALLOWS SPOILERS
1. Lily's Son

Title: **Lily's Son**  
Rating: G  
Disclaimer: No they do not belong to me… definitely not… if they did then I'd be one of the richest people in the world, and not going to college. I also attribute the last line of the ficlet to "The Road Not Taken." The saying fit and then I remembered it was a poem… so thus I give it credit.

**SPOILER ALERT FOR DEATHLY HALLOWS **  
_Vaguely… there will be more to come… you have been warned_

* * *

_What if Harry had taken after his mother rather than his father?_

* * *

Everyone who saw him said it was remarkable, the way Harry Potter resembled his mother.

Except for the messy black hair he'd inherited from his father, all of his features were said to belong to his mother and many claimed that it was as if Lily Potter had been reborn as a man. Her long face, soft chin, and startling green eyes changed just enough to become masculine.

He was his mother's son in every way.

People marveled that in him the best of both Lily and James had taken flight. Even his Aunt who hated the wizarding world and refused to speak of his parents had her heart soften when she looked into that face so reminiscent of her sister's. It was said her husband often disapproved of the boy, but she did watch after him in memory of the sister she had once loved so long ago.

It was said when his startling green eyes settled on you, it was as if her spirit burned within him.

The boy was as talented as she was, and kind. He was fiery, but they did say he had his father's talent for quidditch as well as James Potter's knack for getting into trouble, though his had his mother's knack for getting out.

Everywhere he went they said, "Look! There goes Lily Potter's son! The one who vanquished You-Know-Who! They say he's just as skilled has his mother was!"

But it was when he reached Hogwarts it was decided that the boy truly must have Lily's touch as for the first time the Potion Master Severus Snape showed a sense of liking to someone who was not in Slytherin.

And James Potter's son to boot.

But then more often then not it was hard to remember that he was his father's son at all.

It had been claimed that at first he'd been repelled by the boy, but after a short amount of time he was said to show a type of favoritism he had only ever given to those in his house.

It would be noted years later the change that had come over Snape once Lily's son had come to the school, and the way the man had protected the boy with his life until the end.

And it would always be noted how the many watched over "Lily's Son." Indeed, over time The Boy Who Lived would grow tired of always hearing such.

Not that he was Potter's son.

Lily's.

And perhaps it was that which made all the difference.

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_A/N: It's a short one to start off with. There will be a collection, but this one hit the hardest. Please don't flame me informing me that regardless Snape would hate Harry. Its probably true; however, I just wanted to play with the idea. I thought it'd be interesting if perhaps because he didn't resemble Potter he did come to like the boy. Maybe it's a flight of fancy… that's why they're what ifs XD The others will probably be much much longer, but I thought it was a nice way to start them off. _


	2. Brains and Bravery

Title: Brains and Bravery  
Rating: PG  
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter… I am definitely not reaping in Millions upon Millions of dollars nor do I have the patience or brains to come up with half her twists she throws in.

* * *

"_You know, I think we sometimes sort too soon…"_

* * *

"Snape, Severus!"

He jumped slightly as his name was called, and nervously approached the Sorting Hat.

Reaching for it he set it on his head first thought being '_Please be Slytherin. Slytherin…' _But even as it ran through his head another thought popped up _'But Lily's in Gryffindor…' _

He'd hoped his whole life to end up in the house his mother had been so proud of. She told him how all the Princes had been in Slytherin, and all the great things that those of the house had achieved. Of course his good for nothing father had only scorned her when she told him about it, he'd always hated anything to do with the wizarding world.

But…

'_Slytherin?'_ came a voice in his head. For a moment he wondered if he was going mad, but then he realized that the hat appeared to be speaking to him. '_Are you certain? You could do well in Gryffindor too. You have the capability you know. You have ambition, but loyalty too and bravery-' _

The age old scorn he knew well popped up immediately, '_All brawn no-' _

'_Well if your certain… then I guess SL-'_

But doubt plagued Snape for a moment, and he almost spoke allowed when he said, '_W-wait!' _Would it really be that bad to be in Gryffindor? Lily was there… and if it made Lily like him more… and what if she ended up liking say that Potter more if he wasn't in the same house…

'_I would do well in Gryffindor?' _

'_Yes. I said that didn't I? You would do well in either house, and there are the makings for a Gryffindor.' _

'…_..Alright…..'_

He could have sworn he felt the hat take a little jolt of surprise, as though it hadn't expected the boy to actually take his suggestion, and even Snape felt a mixture of loathing and surprise and perhaps a flash of relief when it shouted, "Gryffindor!!"

The disgust at what he'd done; however, disappeared as he saw Lily's beaming face at the table of applauding Gryffindors. It was daunting he admitted, to see all those prideful faces looking at him with a mixture of hesitancy and warmth, but he felt a sense of pride build in him at the same time.

The knowledge he was at least as good as any of them, if not better, and he had his best friend next to him.

"Though you said you wanted to be in _Slytherin_ Snivellus. Thought you said Gryffindor was all brawn and no brains," said an arrogant voice next to him just as taunting as it had on the bus.

Lily threw the boy a glare and Snape looked straight at him, "Well apparently since they're running so low with people like you, the hat decided it needed to give the house a little help," he sneered back.

The boy next to the one in glasses snickered, "Betchya that's why he had the hat on so long! Probably arguing with it on which house to put him in and just decided to come here because of his _girlfriend." _He said chuckling.

As the blood rushed to his face Snape began to wonder why precisely he'd allowed the hat to place him in this arrogant house, with these imbeciles he'd have to deal with for the next seven years.

But in the years that followed, it was not as bad as the boy had thought on his first day. To his surprise there were quite a few Gryffindors that were more like Lily than Potter's little gang.

It was true that Potter tended to keep the spot light. It was Potter who won them their quidditch cups, and Potter whose good looks had the teachers and girls follow him.

But over time it was Snape who was known for his brains. Snape who gained back their house all the points that Potter and his gang lost due to their stunts. Snape who knew the best ways to jinx and unjinx those who had gotten in Potters way. Snape who became Prefect his fifth year, while Lily Evans became the second.

He wasn't the shining pupil that the Professors loved to radiate on, but he did grow over time. He learned that not everything was as black and white as he had been brought up to see it. He grew to have friends, including the boy Remus Lupin whom he discovered was a werewolf halfway through his first year. Perhaps it was Lupin that helped Potter and Snape from actually getting each other expelled through the rest of the year.

Though the few days Lupin was out a month had most Gryffindors giving their dormitory quite a wide berth while Potter and his friend Black did their best in their constant battle against Snape.

Something that finally began to mellow as Potter gave up his endless hope of dating the other rising star of Gryffindor, Lily Evans. The reason that for a while Gryffindor had started looking more like a war zone then a house, and the reason the resentment between him and Snape had never quite ended.

But about fifth year Lily Evans started dating her best friend Severus Snape, and the inseparable pair became truly inseparable. And after many failed attempts, and name callings from the fiery red head, Potter grudgingly accepted in this one task he had lost.

Years after Hogwarts, he would never be known to be quite the hero that other Gryffindors or his wife would be. He would never be first and foremost in the battle against the Dark Lord and it was always said he was loyal first most to his wife and child.

They said it was for her that he did assist in the Dark Lord's downfall, and it was for her that he used his wits and bravery that helped shift the weight in the end. They said it was his love for his wife that kept him from sometimes wondering if perhaps he had had chosen the losing side.

But while he may have never been one of those brave and reckless heroes that the order was known for, and while he may not have gone into the history books as perhaps either one of the bravest heroes and worthless traitors, there was one thing to be said about Severus Snape's life.

That somehow, against all odds, he had found happiness and family.

He had married the girl he loved, and who loved him back.

And even when at times he wondered if he might not have been greater should he followed his mother's steps to Slytherin, he grudgingly accepted that perhaps the old Sorting Hat knew what it was doing.

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_A/N: I'll probably have a companion to this one if Lily was placed in Slytherin. The idea came from Dumbledore's quote, and the fact that Snape did indeed show bravery. My assumption is if the sorting hat could have placed Harry in Slytherin and Pettigrew in Gryffindor then why couldn't Snape have perhaps had the chance? I think if he had it would have solely been because of Lily's influence, but then that is why he protected Harry and worked for the Order. Lily. Thus just a thought what I think might've happened… had he ended up in the other house. _


End file.
